No. 7(1)IE.Coord/2014
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi
25th November 2014

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Foreign tours/travels as part of Training Programmes — approval of Screening Committee of Secretaries (SCOS).

Instructions have been issued by this Department from time to time on the need to curtail expenditure on foreign travel. In recent months it has been observed that Ministries/Departments have been proposing Foreign Study Tours (FSTs) of large delegations of officers as a part of training programmes. In keeping with the Government’s drive on economy and rationalization of expenditure and to have an objective assessment of such FSTs, it has been decided that prior approval of the Screening Committee of Secretaries would be required for all FSTs of delegations exceeding 5 members (irrespective of level/rank of officers), where Government of India is funding such tours and which are part of career training programme(s)
or stand alone tours or otherwise.

The issues relating to the payment of appropriate commission with respect to payments made under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)/Direct Benefit Transfer in LPG (DBTL) schemes of the Government have been under active consideration of the Government for some time. The matter has been examined in detail, and in supersession of earlier OMs issued in this regard, it has been decided that:

(i) For urban based DBT schemes like DBTL, the transaction cost may be paid at the NEFT rate as per the extant RBI circular or the APB rate as per the extant NPCI circular (as applicable). The ‘on us and “off-us distinction, wherever it exists, should be maintained on the basis of actuals.

(ii) For rural based DBT schemes like pensions, NREGA, pre-matric scholarship, maternity benefits etc. where a large number of transactions are likely to be through the Banking Correspondents, the transaction charges may be paid @ 1% subject to an upper limit of Rs.10 per transaction, in addition to what is required to be paid vide (I) above.

(iii) The transaction cost may be paid at the time of credit of benefit transfer into the accounts of beneficiaries from the same budget line from which the respective scheme funds / benefits are being transferred.

(iv) This OM will come into immediate effect and may be reviewed from time to time.

In compliance of announcement by Finance Minister in his Budget Speech 2014-15 the Government of India has introduced a new scheme named “Sukanya Samriddhi Account” vide Notification No.GSR No.863 (E) dated 2nd December, 2014. It has been decided to allow 9.1% rate of interest on investments in the scheme during the financial year 2014-15.